Benefits

The UR-3R Process® is an integration of the ResourceSort™ (patent pending) materials sorting and separation technology with bio-digestion technology from Germany and composting technology from Italy.

It seeks to extract the highest net resource value from the waste stream, or 'urban ore body', and deliver a sustainable development solution to managing municipal solid waste.

The benefits to sustainability of resource recovery facilities such as the UR-3R Facility include:

• Reduction in waste through community involvement and education regarding waste generation
• Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (ie methane and nitrogen oxides) by processing the gas-producing organic component of the waste stream (the Eastern Creek, Sydney UR-3R Facility generates approximately 300,000 tonnes per year of CO₂ abatement units, equivalent to taking 50,000 cars off the road per year), and through recovering (for recycling) homogenous streams of plastic, metal, glass and paper
• Reduction in the disposal of potential resources to landfill, avoiding potential leachate contamination of local groundwater and riparian systems
• Maximum recovery of the major elements of the waste stream, thereby maximising energy conservation and resource recovery
• Recycling of putrescible waste by converting it into renewable energy and fertiliser material.

The UR-3R Process also delivers substantial environmental and community benefits. The Greenpeace Environmental Trust has published a Study entitled "Cool Waste Management" providing an overview of Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) of waste as a preferred approach over thermal processes. The Study concludes that a MBT process route almost identical to that of Global Renewables' UR-3R Process, followed by landfill, is clearly preferable to thermal treatment in terms of:

• Toxic emissions
• Climate impacts
• Material conservation
• Energy conservation.

Source: Greenpeace, Cool Waste Management - A state of the art alternative to incineration for residual municipal waste, Greenpeace Environmental Trust, London, UK, February 2003